COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar

COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationMyanmar
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseTedim, Chin State[1]
Arrival date23 March 2020
(4 years, 7 months, 3 weeks and 4 days)
Confirmed cases643,221[2]
Recovered608,709 (updated 31 October 2022) [3]
Deaths
19,494[2]
Fatality rate3.03%
Vaccinations
  • 41,551,930[2] (total vaccinated)
  • 35,937,796[2] (fully vaccinated)
  • 93,477,100[2] (doses administered)

The COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Myanmar on 23 March 2020.[4] On 31 March 2020, the Committee for Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), headed by First Vice President Myint Swe and made up of members from the various union ministries, was formed by President Win Myint to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the country.[5]

Although the government rapidly implemented containment measures and public health responses, the country had experienced one of the most severe COVID-19 outbreaks in Southeast Asia by late 2020.[6][7] The UN raised concerns about Myanmar's vulnerability to the pandemic due to its weak healthcare infrastructure following poor investment over six decades of military rule, as well as ongoing internal conflict.[8]

The pandemic greatly disrupted the country's economy and Myanmar's GDP shrank by 5% in 2020.[9] The 2021 coup d'état and subsequent protests and civil disobedience movement, some of which were led by healthcare workers, caused severe disruptions to the country's public health response and deepened its recession.[10][11][12][13] The country's COVID-19 testing system and vaccination deployment are thought to have collapsed in February 2021.[12]

  1. ^ "Myanmar's First COVID-19 Patient Recovers, Leaves Hospital". 30 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Mathieu, Edouard; Ritchie, Hannah; Rodés-Guirao, Lucas; Appel, Cameron; Giattino, Charlie; Hasell, Joe; Macdonald, Bobbie; Dattani, Saloni; Beltekian, Diana; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Roser, Max (2020–2024). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Surveillance Dashboard (Myanmar)". Ministry of Health and Sports (Myanmar). Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Myanmar confirms first two coronavirus cases". The Straits Times. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Myanmar leader forms new anti-COVID-19 committee". The Myanmar Times. 31 March 2020. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  6. ^ Traill, Ashwini Deshpande, Khaing Thandar Hnin, and Tom (1 December 2020). "Myanmar's response to the COVID-19 pandemic". Brookings. Retrieved 21 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Myanmar locks down Yangon region after record jump in COVID cases". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  8. ^ "UN raises concerns over Myanmar's Covid-19 situation - UCA News". ucanews.com. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Myanmar's Economy Hit Hard by Second Wave of COVID-19: Report". World Bank. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  10. ^ Nachemson, Andrew. "Medics in Myanmar on strike against military amid COVID-19 crisis". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Food and fuel prices soar in Myanmar as coup exacerbates Covid-19 crisis". The Guardian. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Coronavirus testing collapses in Myanmar after coup". Reuters. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  13. ^ Mahase, Elisabeth (12 March 2021). "Covid-19: Military coup in Myanmar sees virus response crumble as doctors are arrested". BMJ. 372: n704. doi:10.1136/bmj.n704. ISSN 1756-1833. PMID 33712414. S2CID 232199858.